“A Very Royal Scandal”, the miniseries about the scandalous interview with Prince Andrew comes to Universal+

A Very Royal Scandalthe anticipated miniseries that shows behind the scenes of one of the most scandalous interviews of the last decade arrives on Universal+ on October 25.

In 2019, the experienced BBC journalist, Emily Maitlis (personified by Golden Globe winner Ruth WilsonLuther, The Affair), together with his team from the prestigious Newsnight series, prepared a journalistic piece of incalculable value: a one-on-one conversation at Buckingham Palace, with the Prince Andrew of England (played by Emmy nominee Michael SheenThe Queen, Prodigal Son), who at that time was looking for a space to clarify his connection with Jeffrey Epstein.

The miniseries created by Jeremy Brock (The Last King of Scotland) and directed by Emmy winner Julian Jarrold (The Crown) also recreates that interview that was later classified as a “media disaster” for how it ruined the image of the Duke of York, who seemed uncomfortable during the 50 minutes that the talk lasted.

According to Jeremy Brock, A Very Royal Scandal “focuses on the professional and personal journey of journalist Emily Maitlis until her acclaimed interview with Prince Andrew,” which took place in the midst of the sexual abuse accusations in which she was involved. involved. Just as Maitlis was awarded by the Royal Television Society as best presenter of the year (and the coverage was nominated at the BAFTA, British Academy Television Awards), for royalty it meant a hard blow that weakened the Crown.

Although the Queen Elizabeth II had given permission for her son (the second son she had from her marriage to Philip, Duke of Edinburgh) to speak publicly, her performance in the interview was universally criticized. Finally, on the occasion of that testimony that notoriously damaged him, Prince Andrew removed from public duties as a member of the British royal family. “We went to interview him knowing that we had only one opportunity to make him speak, to get his word, and we did it,” Maitlis recalled about a journalistic achievement that marked a before and after in her career as a communicator.

The negative impact of the interview with Prince Andrew

A damning phrase that went around the world: When Maitlis asked Prince Andrew if he regretted having been friends with Jeffrey Epstein – who took his own life in prison after his conviction for sex trafficking – the Duke assured that he did not regret that connection, just one of many statements. that were repudiated.

The response that generated a wave of reactions on Twitter: All eyes were on what the prince was going to say regarding Virginia Giuffre’s sexual abuse accusations, who mentioned, among other details, how the Duke of York “sweated a lot while dancing.” To refute Giuffre, the Prince defended himself by stating that during that time he had a medical condition that prevented him from sweating. The reaction on the networks did not take long to emerge.

A “stain” on the Crown: At the end of the interview, it emerged that Prince Andrew was satisfied with the result. However, upon seeing her, everything changed. The Duke of York ended up retiring from public life as a royal after his attempt to clean up his image failed miserably.

A Very Royal Scandal stars Ruth Wilson, Michael Sheen, Alex Jennings, Joanna Scanlan and Éanna Hardwicke. The episodes of this must-see miniseries were directed by the prestigious Emmy-nominated British director, Julian Jarrod.